Information, news and comments on the aviation industry and in particular - chartering pri

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

The grand, grand father of Private jet charter as we hear them referred to so often nowadays, was introduced to the world in WW II in august 1939.Erich Warsitz flew a Heinkel He 178 in Germany. That plane was jet of course, but far way from the image we actually have now about private jets. Although many people credit Germany for the first development of a turbojet powered aeroplane, it was the British Royal Air Force officer name Frank Whitte who designed, patented, and built the first turbojet engine, and as such is held as the father of jet propulsion.

Jet powered aeroplanes were faster, much less noisy in the cabin and cockpit, and as such reducing nervous tension for passengers. Realizing the huge advantages a jet powered aeroplane held over its propeller driven counterparts, plane manufacturers started to develop new products immediately after the end of WW II. This development phase led in 1949 to the start of the exploitation of the commercial jet airliner, the de Havilland Comet. However, there were still requirements from the mega-rich customers to fly privately, and their needs had to be considered. That would bring about the start of the private jet industry.

In the 1960s through to the 1970s the first dedicated business jet was produced.The Lockheed L-1329 JetStar. With 10 passenger seats it was one of the largest for that time.The manufacturers have not stopped developing since, so today there are some quite amazing private jets on the market, and new cutting edge features keep popping up like mushrooms. In the cabin, luxuries like satellite telephones, flat screen videos screens, separate bedrooms, office space, bathrooms, WiFi and many more are becoming commonplace. Private jets tend to pioneer aircraft interior innovation years before airlines implement them to their first class products. Equally on the flight deck private jets benefit from many military innovations like Head Up Displays (HUD) and other advanced avionics years before airliners have them fitted, if they ever do.The question is what is coming next?

The choice of Private jet charters is so huge now, that some times people can get confused trying to choose the appropriate plane for their journey. Thankfully, on the market are highly qualified companies like Aeris Charter, a private jet charter broker with worldwide connections.They are ready to help in all matters from the booking to travelling process, not just the selection of your aircraft.A good broker such as this will provide guidance on everything from where to stay at your destination to obtaining a pet visa. Using passengers’ and aircrew experiences we are able to bring you “The Top 10 private jets to hire”.

For the purpose of this survey we have included turboprops and separated the types of private jets into the following categories: Turbo Props, VLJs, Light Jets, Midsize Jets, Super Midsize Jets, Global jets, Heavy jets and Corporate airliners.

We are starting with the smallest in our list Phenom 100 which is in the VLJ category.

This beautiful private jet came about as a result of the collaboration of Embraer, a Brazilian aircraft manufacturer and BMW Group Designworks USA. The team work of these companies produced ergonomically designed seats, a glass cockpit, and one of the quietest cabins in its class. The Phenom cabin has a refreshment cabinet large enough for a comprehensive spread of hot and cold drinks, and snacks. The Phenom 100 has the largest cabin and windows in its category and is fitted with four seats, making the in-flight experience very comfortable indeed. What is more The Phenom sets a new standard in VLJs as it has a private lavatory with a solid door.This new direction in the development of VLJs reflects the reality of customer expectation and allows for full comfort and piece of mind on even the shortest journeys.Incidentally, most types of VLJs do not have a lavatory, or if there is one it is separated from the rest of the cabin by curtains, not my idea of privacy really.

We cannot praise the design of the Phenom without mentioning the baggage compartment, the largest in the class. The compartment is spacious enough for golf bags or ski equipment. All these features are making the Phenom 100 a preferred mode of transport for weekend vacations and quick business meetings.

Next in our line up of top is CJ3 in the category Light jets. CJs were always very innovative and CJ3 is proving that again. CJ3 is extension of CJ2 which in turn is an extension of the CJ1. The cabin comes with six seats in its standard configuration. The aircraft is faster compared with previous CJs, and can fly farther. Not last is the ability of the plane to take off and land on runways as short as 970m, which can save time as it gives you the chance to be closer to your ultimate destination.

As we take the tour of top 10 featured aircraft further we will be reviewing another Cessna stable mate, the Citation X, a midsize jet.In the second part of this list we will be presenting seven more remarkable airplanes in our efforts to help make your choice easier next time you fly.

Monday, 26 April 2010

Very light jet (VLJ) previously known as microjet, personal jet or light jet, are the newest innovation in aviation. VLJ is the most common name for those types of aircraft nowadays. Those small jets are approved for single-pilot operation, the seats vary from 4 to maximum 8 and the weight is 10, 000 pounds or less. Well, they are not applying to the common definition of business jet, are they?

Since 2008 VLJs have been working their way into the Private jet industrywith great success. The development of VLJ was highly encouraged over the last few years as the widespread use of these jets in point-to-point air taxi service has becoming more and more popular.This is because they can fly into airports with runway lengths as short as 1000 meters where airliners cannot compete.

One of the first companies to manufacture VLJ was Cessna with its four seater Citation Mustang. They received their certification from the FAA in 2006. Eclipse Aviation came sooner after them. Today there are 16 different companies developing these aircraft. Features like advanced avionics with glass cockpit technology are the standard.

VLJ have lower operating costs than conventional jets, which makes them the preferred choice for short distance travel. However, suggestions during development that VLJs would only be used for flights of no longer then 40-80 min lead to the exclusion of a fully enclosed lavatory on some models. This did not match customer’s expectation, and so Embraer listened, and came up with Phenom 100, a beautiful aeroplane; which features a fully enclosed lavatory with a solid door. The Phenom in fact, is rather spacious, providing not only the privacy of a lavatory, but a baggage compartment roomy enough for both skis and golf bags.

As VLJs are one of the most affordable jets on the market, a lot of customers are purchasing them for a personal use. All of a sudden, a weekend golf tour for you and your friends, or a ski weekend with the family is available with the same cost per seat as an airline ticket, but without a schedule, without long queues at the busy airports, and landing and taking off from airports closer to the start and finish points of your journey.You really are king with the VLJ at your disposal.

That of course means that savvy companies are using these new very light jets to their advantage.Smaller companies that probably had never considered purchasing a private plane now own one. VLJs have made travelling to business meetings so much easier, and in many cases cheaper.

Consider a scenario where you are one of 4 people who have to travel to a 2 hour meeting on a Monday morning.You are based in Cambridge (one hour from StanstedAirport), and the meeting is in Exeter.The earliest you could arrive is 10:12.To achieve this you would have to be awake at about 05:00 that morning for the 06:15 train to London, where you change trains via the London Underground.It would not be possible to arrive for a 09:00 meeting without travelling the night before, and spending the night in a hotel.After the meeting you would catch the 15:00 to arrive back in Cambridge at 19:00.The costs £223 per person, first class, plus the charge out rate for the executive of minimum £50 an hour of which 8 hours are spent unproductively on a train.Total cost to the company £623.

Now consider the VLJ alternative.Wake up at 07:00, board the flight at 08:15 to arrive Exeter at 09:00 for a 09:30 meeting.Take off again at 12:00 to be back in the office by 13:30 ready for the second half of the working day.Add to that the charge out rate of £50 per hour for two hours travelling, and the total cost to the company is, £600 per person.So the total is the same using this method, but with the added benefit that you have the whole of the second half of the business day in your own office, and you only had to leave your house at 07:45 as usual.

VLJ are the ultimate air taxi, comfortable, very convenient, very cost effective and time saving. This aircraft type has a niche market for customers who simply require control over their working day and are only flying short hops.

Whatever your reason is for travelling, we will soon see a real urge and demand for Very Light Jets as manufacturers are reporting an increase in VLJ enquiries. As the market begins to show signs of growth, these planes are about to become the hottest thing in business aviation.

Thursday, 22 April 2010

After the eruption of the volcano in Iceland last week which caused unprecedented disruption for airlines, 21st of April 2010 saw the airspace over UK reopen. Despite the fact that the major airlines have resumed flying, travelling by scheduled air carrier remains disrupted as carriers struggle to reposition fleets and a variation in airspace restrictions across Europe cause mayhem.

That situation however, is very up different for private jet charter customers. After the slow recovery of the private jet market over the last year, the Icelandic volcano eruption spawned an increase in market share as passengers who would not usually consider private aviation vie for flights amidst the scarcity of availability.

Successful business jet charter companies like Aeris Charter, are well organized and are managing full service flights now that airports have resumed normal operations.

The CEO of Aeris Charter Alexander Whyte, said: “We have received many calls from people desperate to get home from all over Europe in the last few days. We were able to provide transport for some of them using helicopters and small piston planes in unrestricted areas, but the big boom has now started with the reopening of European airspace.“

Private jet charters will play a large part in restarting the European economy in the next few months through the use of many sizes of aircraft applied to the most appropriate travel solutions. One of the big advantages of the smaller aircraft for hire is that they can fly from smaller airports. What is more, smaller airports are starting to provide higher levels of comfort, and with it, the ability to relax or be productive. These features, coupled with privacy and a hassle free environment are especially important to customers. Another coupe for private aviation is that airlines at large airports are finding it frustrating to compete amidst the chaos and confusion that recent disruption is causing.

After a week with a no-fly zone over Europe’s skies, passengers all over the continent and overseas are feeling the stress of uncertainty as the reality of the situation is realised. Customers are ready to pay double and triple the cost of a flight in order to do what is necessary to complete business deals or get home. Of course, no reputable company would ignore restrictions posed for safety reasons; so when the opportunity came to utilize a few unrestricted areas private jets, piston powered aircraft, and helicopters were ready for deployment.

After the recession business is creeping back for hotels, yacht rental companies, private jet charters and jewellery stores — purveyors of the luxury goods that once seemed immune to a downturn but then took a megahit with the economy.

“People are fed up, and they want to have a good time”. They don’t want Italy 101. They want more exotic destinations like Kenya and Tanzania,” said an expert in the travelling business.Some experts contend that much of the high-end spending before the recession was fuelled by money borrowed by people who were trying to live beyond their means. Today there is a trend to reducing risk by cutting debt. But even people who came out of the financial crisis relatively unscathed are pulling back. The possibility of losing their wealth has become more real.In an economy that remains weak, no one expects a rapid recovery. Numbers are coming back, but not even near to the level they were.

The jet business may well have been the hardest hit by the economic collapse. In normal times, 12 percent of the worldwide private jet fleet is for sale. In July 2009, that figure soared to 18 percent, but sales have risen every month for the past seven months. The good news is that people have stopped dumping jets, although prices remained flat.However, the belief is that the business usage of private jets is growing faster than personal usage, but personal use went suffered less in the downturn.

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

Thursday the 15th 2010, a volcano erupted in Iceland causing chaos in air travel. Thousands of flights all over Europe are still grounded as the situation worsens. The restrictions are imposed because of the danger the ash poses to aircraft. The small particles of rock, glass, and sand in the cloud could damage aircraft engines. It is the second volcano eruption in Iceland for less than a month.

The ash cloud has reached as far as Russia and Hungary and at the moment shows no signs of dissipating soon. Hundreds of thousands of airline passengers remain stranded; some of them have sought alternative forms of transport to continue with their plans.

Many frustrated travellers turned to private jet charter for first time, looking for help and a convenient form of transportation. Business people are ready to pay whatever it takes to hire a private jet to reach the most important meetings.Although the airspace remains closed, flights booked through private jet brokers are increasing at an unprecedented rate as travellers bid to avoid the queues when restrictions are lifted.

As for now the airports in Southern Europe, including Spain, the southern Balkan area, southern Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey remain open and a lot of flights are diverted to those places. The most conscientious Private jet brokers are managing to arrange flights from, and to those airports, then, helping their customers to reach their destination by other means of transport once on the ground. Despite the though times the cost of privet jet charter remains static. At the same time though, airlines experience great loses, which is leading to an increase in the price of the tickets.

The benefits of travelling on a chartered private jet are increasing in number. The ratio of cabin crew to passengers allows for better service and exactly the catering you request the day before to be stylishly presented. Limousines to pick up and drop off are the norm, and even personal security can be provided when needed. And last but not least for some people, you can even take your favourite pets in the cabin with you, saving them the horror of travelling in the cargo compartment of an airliner. Private jets have the ability to take off and land from smaller airports than most long range airliners are capable of, meaning fewer airport delays and departure slots.

Private jet charters are proving to be convenient even when geological events are causing airliners chaos at large airports. Remember the earthquake in China? Private jet brokers from all over the world were mobilized sending help to victims. Being the fastest form of transportation, many peoples lives were saved because they reached hospitals on time. The volcano eruption closed most of Europe’s airports. But once the ash cloud has gone, and airspace is open, private jets will be first to fulfil the requirements of busy passengers.

Sunday, 18 April 2010

Tomorrow will see Aeris charter, the U.K.s latest private jet charter broker launching. Aeris offers the ability to completely tailor a customers flying needs by offering a full concierge service to allow anything from a limousine to a security guard to be added to a booking.